Aces High Bulletin Board

Help and Support Forums => Help and Training => Topic started by: LtHans on June 22, 2001, 02:09:00 AM

Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: LtHans on June 22, 2001, 02:09:00 AM
I don't know if anybody has ever taken the time to do a in-depth discussion on how to do a PT torpedo attack, so I figured I would list mine.  This is just an FYI post.


Ok, the name of the game is to get torpedos on target.  Sounds easy right?  Well, given that there is no such thing as a aiming device for the torpedos, how do you get them to strike your target?  Do you just get close and blindly let loose and hope?

Not me.  I never really thought about it too much untill recently, and my most successful attack tactic was to simply shove one in from dead ahead, where there is no chance it can miss (barring the fleet turning).

But, what happens when you approach from the sides?

I figured it out in a flash one time when I was doing a side attack and decided I would speed things up by running in to the enemy fleet in on an intercept course.  I know from my pilot training that an collision course is really easy to do.  If the other guy is neither moving left or right in your field of view, your going to ram him if you don't change your course.

Thats when it dawned on me.  I could slow my boat down a bit to aim the torpedos!  I screwed around offline for awhile using external view and paced a torpedo I dropped.  I found that if you throttle back to 2400 RPMs on the engine indicator (shown as 24 on the gauge), your traveling damn near perfectly the same speed as a torpedo does (40mph, instead of the PTs full speed of 45mph).


So, its easy.

1.  Spawn PT boat
2.  Get to full speed
3.  Jump to a gunner postion, and aim at your target ship
4.  Using rudder pedals I turn the boat left or right untill the apparent movement of the target is neither left or right.  I can leave the guns layed on that ship and it will still be pointing at the ship a minute latter

Now, this gets me heading in on a collision course at full speed, so I can close the distance in the shortest ammount of time

5.  When I feel I am getting close I jump back to the driver positon and throttle back to 2400 RPM.  My boat is now traveling the same speed as a torpedo would.  To paraphrase Chevy Chase in Caddy Shack, "Be the torpedo".

6.  Jump back to the guns and repeat the left/right turning so that the target ship is neither moving left or right in the crosshairs.

7.  Get as close as you dare, launch one torpedo on that heading, turn a bit to launch one to pass towards the rear of the target, then back to launch the last two towards the bow.  Do a spread.  With PT boats, it is unlikely your going to live long enough to aim at several ships, so just go for broke and let all the fish go for one target.

Well, thats how I do it.

Hans.
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: StSanta on June 22, 2001, 04:39:00 AM
Very nice! Thanks for sharing  :)
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Nash on June 22, 2001, 04:49:00 AM
Yes! Great post... Thank you.
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Pepe on June 22, 2001, 05:58:00 AM
Ditto    :)

Pepe
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Sandman on June 22, 2001, 06:24:00 AM
Genius can be found in the simplest of answers.

<S>
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Purzel on June 22, 2001, 06:45:00 AM
Cool, must be a dummie, this semms to help  ;)

Seems to be the way guided missiles (at least older ones IIRC) do an interception. The heat-source just has to remain in the same grid.

Good idea, thx...
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Purzel on June 22, 2001, 07:28:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by LtHans:
To paraphrase Chevy Chase in Caddy Shack, "Be the torpedo".

Yeah, and when you're lucky and get near the target - just have a blast!!!  ;)  :D
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: LtHans on June 22, 2001, 05:24:00 PM
Quote
Yeah, and when you're lucky and get near the target - just have a blast!!!

Your not far off.  Unfortunetly for me, I usually "feel" that I am as close as I can get to the target ship when the ship's guns start lighting up.  I usually get a split second to do a fan shot of all four torpedos, and die trying to disengage.


One other thing.  I guess the info on how to do an intercept course is useful to pilots too, since its the same concept.  Maybe it will be useful when your chasing a bomber at 28,000 feet next time.

Hans.
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: bloom25 on June 22, 2001, 06:44:00 PM
What's real fun is when you let loose with the torpedos and about 30 seconds later you get blown away by the ships guns.  After you end up back in the tower right when you are about to spawn again you get the "ship destroyed message."  :D

If you really wanted to ensure a hit (since there is no error factor built into Ah that I am aware of), you could calculate where and when you need to launch the torpedo to hit every time.  The only trick is you would need someway to know your exact range to the target.  You could fairly easily get yourself 90 degrees (perpendicular) from the path of the target.  If you knew exact range and speed it's fairly easy.  You'd just have to calculate it once and then try to set yourself up the same way everytime.  :)
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Otto on June 22, 2001, 08:13:00 PM
"see the ball..., be the ball...."    :rolleyes:
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: B52Charlie on June 24, 2001, 12:17:00 AM
Only problem is , ya get blown outta water at 5k
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Mathman on June 24, 2001, 12:41:00 AM
Quote
and my most successful attack tactic was to simply shove one in from dead ahead,  

Sorry, but I just gotta say this:

HO DWEEB!!!

heheh, j/k    :D

Thanks for the post, some good info in it!

-math
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Citabria on June 24, 2001, 01:17:00 AM
no one finds it annoying that the carrier moves at 45mph when actual carriers max speed was under 40mph?

cruising speed was much lower

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: Citabria ]
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Kirin on June 24, 2001, 02:23:00 AM
Whooo - that's how you lay an intercept course!! Never had this in my pilot training (or I forgot it meanwhile  ;) ) - guess you don't need to intercept anyone in a Cessna...  ;)
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: LtHans on June 24, 2001, 04:00:00 AM
Quote
no one finds it annoying that the carrier moves at 45mph when actual carriers max speed was under 40mph?

Eh?  I beleave your mistaken.  The ship's move at 35 mph.  PT boats can outrun them....slowly.  The Essex class can do 33 knots (about 39 miles per hour), so they're only running at 90% speed.

Kirin, in my ground school training they mentioned it once so you knew what to look for...so you could avoid it.  Thats why we had it.

Hans.

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: LtHans ]
Title: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: gijeff on June 25, 2001, 03:32:00 PM
Salute Gents,

    Beg to differ on the PT vs CV speeds, I have upped a PT and had the CV run AWAY from me, I couldn't catch him and on dar he showed as pulling away.  I believe HTC made the CV's faster so they wouldn't take FOREVER to get places, but think the PT's should be correspondingly faster as well myself.

Jeff Waite
aka GIJeff
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Dundee on December 02, 2014, 03:54:13 PM
Great instructions............1 question how do you fire the torpedoes
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Naughty on December 02, 2014, 04:21:43 PM
Salute Gents,

    Beg to differ on the PT vs CV speeds, I have upped a PT and had the CV run AWAY from me, I couldn't catch him and on dar he showed as pulling away.  I believe HTC made the CV's faster so they wouldn't take FOREVER to get places, but think the PT's should be correspondingly faster as well myself.

Jeff Waite
aka GIJeff



     PT boat is defiantly fast than a CV. you can test this by spawning a PT from a CV that is not near a base. the PT will spawn right next to the carrier. Fire up your engines and you will pass your CV fairly quickly. you might not have been running at full throttle. if you release the throttle key to soon, you'll notice the throttle back off. Hit "SHIFT-W" to instantly lock in full throttle.
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Naughty on December 02, 2014, 04:24:53 PM
Great instructions............1 question how do you fire the torpedoes

    from driver's position hit your secondary weapon button. I believe it's "B" by default, not sure though I use a Joystick with it mapped, so I havn't used actual keys in years
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: The Fugitive on December 02, 2014, 04:47:05 PM
WOW! this thread is over 13 years old!

The info I think would still work however.

Heres a great write up on aiming in the game

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/lento_ohjeet/ah_torpedoguide/
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: xPoisonx on December 02, 2014, 04:51:59 PM
thank the search button... always pops up results from 2001 regardless of your filter  :o
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: The Fugitive on December 02, 2014, 05:06:36 PM
thank the search button... always pops up results from 2001 regardless of your filter  :o

I tend to remember "when" I saw something and set the filter to look in the area.... 999 days, or just about 3 years is my favorite search area.
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Skuzzy on December 02, 2014, 05:10:07 PM
thank the search button... always pops up results from 2001 regardless of your filter  :o

If you do not set a date range it will not complete the search as SMF will time out.  SMF did not design the search for boards with several million posts in it.  Just set the date range to something realistic and it will work fine.
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Lusche on December 02, 2014, 06:34:22 PM
Or use google to search the board.
Use any combination of keywords and then limit your search to the BBS by adding     site:bbs.hitechcreations.com

Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Oldman731 on December 02, 2014, 06:45:14 PM
Or use google to search the board.
Use any combination of keywords and then limit your search to the BBS by adding     site:bbs.hitechcreations.com


Very useful!  Thanks!

- oldman
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: Max on December 02, 2014, 07:14:43 PM
Lots of great info in this thread. Keep it alive please :pray
Title: Re: PT boat torpedo attack instructions (for dummies)...
Post by: BaldEagl on December 02, 2014, 09:37:53 PM
Lots of great info in this thread. Keep it alive please :pray

Agreed.  Definitely worth the bump.